


Fire

by theundeadsiren (rhoen)



Category: In the Flesh (TV)
Genre: F/M, High School, M/M, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-27
Updated: 2015-04-27
Packaged: 2018-03-26 00:13:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3830065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhoen/pseuds/theundeadsiren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rick just needed a little something to ignite what was always there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fire

**Author's Note:**

> Have you noticed how shockingly bad I am at titles?
> 
> I wrote this in two hours. Don't expect brilliance.

**You may not take this fic and edit or reupload it - in whole or in part - without my express permission. This includes translations.**

If you are reading this anywhere other than my (theundeadsiren) tumblr, AO3 or livejournal, then please [let me know](http://theundeadsiren.tumblr.com/ask/), including a link to where you found it, so I can take steps to have it removed. For a list of people given permission to use parts of my works, please see [here](http://theundeadsiren.tumblr.com/permission).

Thank you for respecting my wishes

* * *

 

The noise from the fire and the group gathered around it were starting to fade as Rick allowed himself to be led, the fingers laced tightly in his tugging him further into the night. He could feel her excitement as they half stumbled in the darkness, trying to reach a point far enough to render them safe from prying eyes – her idea, not his. He’d been coaxed into it with subtle touched as she leant close to him, brushing her body against his in a way that made her interest inescapably clear. He’d initially been more interested in the conversation going on around him and pulling faces at Kieren across the fire than he had been in her, but when she’d leant in and urged ‘ _come with me_ ’, he’d let her take his hand and lead him, realising his own excitement was growing as it dawned on him what this would lead to. She was pretty. Half the guys in his class fancied her. He felt like he’d won something.

They came to a stop. The moon was bright enough to afford them some light, but it was only strong enough to pick out the rough outline of her features – pale skin, dark loosely curled hair falling past her shoulders, and wide eyes he was pretty sure were blue. Or green. Maybe blue? He couldn’t remember, and figured it didn’t matter. She was a few inches shorter than he was, and as she faced him and stepped closer, she angled her jaw to him, eyes fixed determinedly on his.

“Are you going to kiss me then?” she asked. Rick scoffed at the fact she’d even asked.  Of course he was going to kiss her.

He stepped closer, leaning down to meet her lips. He could feel her breath against his lips and the warmth from her body, but in the moment before their lips met, he froze. He didn’t know why. He couldn’t quite place it. Something in that moment wasn’t right, and he realised with a frightening jolt that he didn’t want to kiss her. He didn’t want to do anything with her. She wasn’t… Before she could close the distance herself, he pulled back abruptly, as if burnt, his eyes wide at what had just hit him. But she couldn’t see clearly in the darkness. He supposed that worked in his advantage.

“What?” she demanded, annoyed by the rejection. Rick’s mind raced, trying to process what the hell had just happened and push the thought that had floored him to the side. How the hell was he going to get out of this? She was pretty. Shit! Oh god, he couldn’t let her go back and say that… he should just kiss her, he should make himself do it. But he didn’t want to. He couldn’t, not when…

“I thought I heard something,” he lied, acting up to the fabrication by looking around as if seeking the source of the sound. Girls hated being creeped out. “There!” he said with feigned panic. “Did you hear it?”

“No, I didn’t… Stop it, Rick, it’s not funny.”

He’d managed to pull back, although she held his arm tightly, fingers pressing into his skin, clearly uneasy. He played on it, stiffening as if he’d caught the sound again. “There’s someone out there,” he insisted, looking away from the fire. “Let me go look–”

“No!” she exclaimed, grabbing onto him even tighter as he made to go investigate. “I want to go back, please? Let’s go back.”

He pretended to consider, hoping his attempt was convincing. “Okay,” he agreed, trying to sound reluctant. He was more desperate to get back to the fire than she ever would be. “Come on.”

He let her keep her clinging hold on him, grateful for every step they took back towards where the rest of the group was gathered. The second they were close enough, Rick pulled his arm back, and the girl rushed over to her two friends, talking in a hushed voice about how there was someone out there. He’d forgotten her already, and ignored the chatter as he slipped round to the other side of the bonfire, and to his friend’s side. Rick realised he was trembling slightly, both frightened and excited by what had just hit him.

“Ren, come with me a sec,” he urged, unsurprised when Kieren stood, despite his obvious confusion. They trusted each other implicitly. Kieren didn’t ask Rick what was going on, he simply followed until they were out of earshot of the gathering, in the opposite direction from where Rick had gone with Vicky. Rick stood awkwardly, not sure how to place himself.

“Vicky tried to kiss me,” he blurted out, trying to keep his voice low.

“Tried?”

“Yeah, I didn’t want her to. It felt wrong.” Rick admitted, not sure how to word his confession yet. Kieren was silent, waiting for him to continue, and Rick wished he could see him clearly. “I want to say something, but can I ask you something first?”

“Sure?”

“I really need to know the truth,” he stressed, realising what he could be about to gain or lose in this moment.

“Okay,” Kieren said breathlessly. He seemed afraid, as if he could sense what was coming. He could probably read the tension in Rick’s body. He tried to push it aside as he forced out the difficult question.

“Do you fancy me?”

They suddenly didn’t seem to be far enough away from the rest of the world. Spilled into the space between them was something Rick had always hoped and feared he knew the answer to, and was now more invested in than Kieren could ever guess. He wanted to keep it secret, to protect it. It seemed so vulnerable he almost wished he could take it back and preserve their friendship from whatever Kieren’s answer would bring. But only almost.

After a lifetime of consideration, Kieren gave the smallest of nods, his voice barely there as he whispered his reply. “Yes.”

Rick tried to reign in the excitement that swelled in him. It buoyed him. He suddenly knew without a doubt that he was doing the right thing. He fought to stay still as he spoke. “You know why I didn’t kiss Vicky?” He didn’t pause long enough to let Kieren answer. “Because she wasn’t you.”

He could tell Kieren’s eyes had widened in surprise, and as his friend stood there, speechless, Rick took half a step forwards, taking Kieren’s hand in his. He was a mess of thoughts and emotions, but none of them were bad. Mostly, he couldn’t work out why it had taken him so long to realise how he felt.

“I want to kiss you,” Rick said quietly, emphasising the last word. Kieren gave a choked noise, almost like a whimper, as he moved another step closer. They were the same height. Equal.

“Rick,” Kieren breathed. Rick’s heart was hammering in his chest at the way his name sounded on Kieren’s lips. It was so different from every other time he’d heard it before, and he loved this one time more than anything. There was nothing left to say between them. Kieren’s hand in his trembled slightly as they moved closer – close enough to lean in and kiss.

And this time, it felt right.


End file.
